


Chemical Crisis

by Diplocat (DecultureDignitary)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon to chapter 115, Imagine the Haikyuu Kids Competition, M/M, NSFW, handjobs, historical present tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 02:13:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2007090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecultureDignitary/pseuds/Diplocat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It starts with a phone call and hits critical mass in a dingy bathroom in the middle of a celebratory party.</p><p>Or.</p><p>The one in which Ukai really likes how persistent Takeda is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chemical Crisis

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Imagine the Haikyuu Kids Competition. Prompts used are linked here: http://imaginethehaikyuukids.tumblr.com/post/92613602299/imagine-the-haikyuu-kids-competition-ukatake-chemical
> 
> If you like it feel free to reblog or like on tumblr as well.

 

*

 

 

It starts with a phone call, and at the time he hardly pays attention, he even barely lets the teacher finish speaking before rejecting him, and he thought at first that was the end of it. Except the teacher calls him three more times in just the span of three days leaving him wary of answering the store phone. The teacher is annoying, persistent and just a bit admirable.

 

It just so happens that the fifth time he's called Uchizawa is lounging behind the counter eating the store out of food and flipping through unpaid for magazines on the pretense of “visiting”.

 

“Hello, Sakanoshita store.”

 

Uchizawa not used to hearing his friend be rude to customers looks up when Ukai gives an exasperated “You again” into the receiver. The conversation is distinctly more one-sided on the caller's part as Ukai growls out answers.

 

“No.”

 

A moments pause.

 

“I refuse.”

 

A few second pass.

 

“I won't change my mind.”

 

His face twitches ominously.

 

“I have no interest in--”

 

Ukai gives a particularly aggravated sound as the caller continues and then he hangs up slamming the phone back on the base with a bit more force than he probably intends as he picks it back up and checks it almost immediately for cracks. “Dammit!”

 

He wasn't known for being a calm person, but Ukai was known for taking care in the store to speak politely to young children and older folks; teenagers could bite it. If they made the mistake of angering him, well he would say it was only what they deserved.

 

Uchizawa smirks over his magazine and makes an assumption, he's seen this exact look on Ukai's face several times since the younger man took over managing the store.

 

“Got another teenage admirer? What's this? The fourth one?”

 

Ukai's hand slips out of his hair and comes to rest on the bridge of his nose in an obvious and hopeless attempt to stem off a headache as he grinds his latest cigarette in the ashtray.

 

“Must be a really troublesome one, too. Guess you can't marry them if they give you migraines.”

 

Ukai looks alarmed as he answers, “I'm not marrying anyone! I can't believe mom even talked to ya about that. Stop encouraging those brats to ask me out!”

 

He rips the book out of Uchizawa's hands and shoves him out of the with door with his jacket just as a group of basketball club kids walk in clutching their stomachs in a show of hunger. “Get out, I got customers to serve.”

 

The other man laughs and waves goodbye before slipping his arms into his arms into his motorcycle jacket and riding off. Ukai doesn't bother asking him to keep the call to himself, it's never worked before.

 

And, by the next day everyone in the Karasuno Neighborhood Association knows about Ukai's new potential paramour. The first to contact him is Takinoue and it just like all the previous texts concerning his fans just states.

 

“Maybe you'll marry this one!”

 

That's unlikely as it sleeting in hell.

 

Shimada texts next: “Avoid having to tell the police you're the one actually being stalked this time.”

 

Like he wants to do that again. Once was enough.

 

Mori's text is the nicest and possibly the most confusing on as he only writes, “Good luck!”

 

Good luck? It wasn't like Ukai was going to an Omiai.

 

Ukai can only sigh and snap his phone close.

 

 

*

 

 

Ukai usually bemoans the fact that the store is considered to be the typical hang out for the Neighborhood Association, but when a kid in a suit approaches him as he's sweeping outside he's even more distraught.

 

His friends all laugh and jab each other when the kid addresses him, and for good reason.

 

“Ah, Ukai-kun?”

 

Oh, no. He recognizes that voice, the man is smaller and younger than he expects which is why he didn't avoid this like he wishes he could have.

 

The smaller man bows and says “I'm Takeda Ittetsu, I've spoke to you on the phone.” His friends look from his face to other man's and they freeze for a moment before frantic whispers break out between them. Being closer Ukai can hear them better, but he hopes the teacher can't.

 

“--admirer.”

 

“--you know it was--”

 

“Oh, can't wait for--”

 

Ukai jabs the brush end of the broom a couple of times into the group to quiet them, they keep going undisturbed by taking bristles to the stomach.

 

“I was hoping we could discuss--” Ukai holds his hand up to interrupt the surely ensuing request. “Sensei.” That stops them, and he can bet they're all thinking the same thing, that the kid in front of them _can't_ possibly be an adult. And a teacher at that!

 

“I already refused,” he says blowing out a puff of his cigarette.

 

“Really, why'd'you have to do that!” Takinou crows. They all snicker into their hands and Ukai almost can't resist the urge to smack his broom into their smug faces. Uchizawa, an asshole as always says, “Give him a chance!”

 

Takeda-sensei nods, and seems to agree, though he's clearly confused by his supporters.

 

Ukai turns and yells at them. “I already said no! Stop encouraging him.” He makes to enter the store but the teacher who moves to follow him trips over his own foot and goes sprawling at Ukai's feet, staying there.

 

“Please, Ukai-kun!” Ukai inhales strongly hoping that the extra nicotine will give him the strength not to kick a teacher. “Good luck!” Mori stage whispers. To him or the teacher he doesn't know.

 

The fact is, that his friends are either teasing him about the prospect of having a man as a lover or actually think it's a good idea, but either way he knows they're getting a piece of his mind later.

 

“Please be our coach, we need you!” Takeda-sensei refuses let go of his pants leg as he shakes it so he can't actually kick him.

 

So instead he responds, “Get up, you're makin' a fool of yourself. I've got customers waitin' to come in.” There are, in fact, a couple of students standing to the side waiting for the drama to unfold.

 

Hearing this the teacher scrambles to his feet, dusts himself off, mutters an apology and a promise to return while bowing and runs off.

 

It happens so quickly that they're all left standing there dumbfounded as the teacher disappears off on to a side street in the distance.

 

Ukai shakes himself into awareness, and steps aside opening the door for the students to go in. Once the door closes, his friends surround him and burst into a fury of questions the most prominent ones being: “He's asking you to coach, not on a date?” and “Why did you say no?”

 

As if Ukai hasn't made his frustration with teenagers know before, loudly and frequently.

 

“YOU GUYS KNOW WHY! I don't wanna coach some snot nosed brats. I'm not some kinda babysitter!”

 

The group gets into an argument about the pros and cons of becoming a coach, with Mori surprising being the strongest proponent of him going for it, while Shimada is the only one who doesn't say anything and instead carefully watches Ukai's own responses in his usual eerily observant manner.

 

He hasn't said anything that Ukai knows of to the others, but he suspects that Shimada maybe be the only to have figure out that his preferences for partners leans towards the masculine side. Those eyes that so easily figured him probably already know why he doesn't want to coach a bunch of high schoolers as well. He probably already knows that Ukai's not ready to let go of his time in the club, to have those memories be overlapped and replace by a bunch of kids in the prime of their life. It just makes him feel old, which just reminds him that his parents want him to marry soon.

 

“Enough!” he yells at them. “I gotta go ring up those kids, and I'm gonna remind you that none of ya actually have a say in what I decide. And, I've already said no.”

 

Even after going inside and ringing up the girls Ukai can still hear them arguing and he figures he'll leave them well enough alone. No point in fighting, especially when Mori who so rarely gets mad is so passionately defending his stance, there's no winning when he decides he's right.

 

Their voices become background noise until the bell rings and he's realizes they've been silent for a while. The brats from the volleyball team come in and discuss positions and he barely resists the urge to listen in, and then the teacher calls again. Ukai definitely feels like this is a plot against him. Well, it's not going to work on him.

 

 

*

 

 

Ukai is free from calls and volleyball brats until Tuesday, the only people who contact him are Mori and Uchizawa. Mori has been sending him texts everyday talking about the past tinted with heavy nostalgia which almost makes him smell the leather of the ball and salonpas. Uchizawa still teasing him about his “suitor” even though he already knows what's really going on.

 

Then _they_ come in late, looking for food. The basketball team already bought it all so he's completely ready to turn them out on the streets hungry. Except, he really can't, so he throws the three of them protein bars for their way home. 

 

He was expecting a call from the teacher again so he wasn't quite expecting him to show up so soon after the last disaster.

 

The teacher's more honest this time about how much a coach is needed especially with the name Ukai. He doesn't get on his knees again, but something about the quiet confidence that Ukai would change his mind if he saw them play leaves him not with a sense of foreboding, but rather . . . inevitability.

 

 

*

 

 

The sense is one hundred percent right, because some how that teacher manages to completely ensnare him. Using Nekoma and their new coach (his old rival Naoi) to tempt him is dirty, but inspired. He immediately contacts the others in the Neighborhood Association and they happily play against and with his temporary charges. He's impressed and he knows the others are too just by the way they tease the setter and the libero both ,which he's glad to see, are geniuses. Though perhaps that number ten is also a genius at least in reflexes and his inordinate amount of trust for a setter he's only just met.

 

Even as a temporary coach he has his work cut for him, but the first of his duties is help the teacher close up the gym.

 

He sighs, before glancing at his fellow adult, the smile on his face is a mix of slightly smug and anticipatory. So, Takeda Ittetsu was right, Karasuno is worth looking at.

 

Though the friendly jabs at finally giving in to his suitor he gets are as annoying as hell.

 

 

*

 

 

Despite how sensei repeatedly told him that the students in the volleyball club are exceptional they keep surprising him. From the reliable Setter Sugawara giving him a pep talk on necessary decisions to the almost invisible first year Yamaguchi going out of his way to have Shimada help improve his skill set, the students are more mature then he ever felt at that age.

 

There are only a couple of problem children, but even they're beginning to come into their own. He's still left feeling like they're teaching him more than he's teaching them.

  
“They do tend to surprise you like that,” the other man says. Ukai didn't know he was speaking out loud and he's a bit embarrassed about it so he says nothing as the other man helps into his futon. He doesn't know how such a small person can drink so much but sensei and Nekomata kept drinking long after Naoi and him gave up. And here he is still being half carried to bed by someone almost half a head shorter than him.

 

With all that drinking ability and that resistant attitude no doubt sensei was a business man in a past life.

 

“If you say so,” the curls blocking his view say as they tuck in his covers. “You should sleep it off Ukai-kun, you'll feel better in the morning.”

 

Ukai's face flushes from the alcohol and the last things he sees before he falls asleep is sensei's mildly tipsy smile.

 

 

*

 

 

_What luck_ , Ukai thinks the next morning as sensei seems perfectly sober and not the least bit hung over. Sensei tells him the secret is drinking as much water as you do sake. But Ukai doesn't remember seeing him drink anything besides sake itself. He wants to stab his eyes out. At least his stomach is settled since sensei brought him that ginger tea earlier.

 

 

*

 

 

The excitement is tangible in the air, it's the prefecture playoffs after all. It a whole 'nother league.

 

As much fun as Karasuno's first match was their second is proving to be infinitely more difficult. Even Ukai and Takeda-sensei are feeling the strain of having to come up with new strategies mid game.

 

Number Twelve is holding up the sign to switch in. It's the first time they've used him since his previous flub, but the amount of training has paid it off, so Ukai yells encouragement at his player's long face.

 

“Come on! Yamaguchi what have you been training for!”

 

Sensei turns and looks at him, “He's still probably nervous about last time.” And, then he looks back to the court where he's replacing Hinata once again and shout something appropriate and flowery, “Yamaguchi, your feathers have grown in fine. It's time to show everyone that you too can fly!”

 

The freckled face burns in earnest with his teacher's praise and the other players make his face darken more with a blush with there heckling.

 

“Nice feathers!” and “How high are you gonna fly!?” are just two of the louder comments.

 

He doesn't look nervous anymore, just embarrassed. The others able to accurately gauge that regular praise might just make him more nervous have resorted to friendly gibes. They're really coming together.

 

Yamaguchi settles into a stance to begin his serve and then he jumps and they hold their breath.

 

Ukai is vaguely aware that a hand has gripped his on the bench, but mostly is focus is on twelve as his hand connects with the ball.

 

It sails through the air and already he can tell it's not spinning. It's not spinning and even if they manage to somehow receive the ball that does stop the fact that Yamaguchi has succeeded in using the float serve for the first time in a game.

 

The ball falls a foot from where the other team expects it to.

 

Takeda-sensei leaps from the bench to cheer wildly and brings Ukai hand and body with him and then they're both cheering. Sensei's smile is wide when he turns to him and Ukai can't help but smile back just as wide, face flushing with excitement.

 

He almost forgets they're still holding hands until sensei lets go to hand Yamaguchi a water bottle.

 

Ukai clenches his hand to preserve the feeling of victory.

 

It's a victory every time they learn to move forward.

 

 

*

 

 

Training after the prefecture playoffs is brutal for everyone since there's little time until nationals. He's more than willing to give the kids a break so Takeda-sensei and him have started cleaning and closing the gym by themselves. It leaves them tired for morning practice, but at least the brats have plenty of energy.

 

Apparently, all the extra work isn't enough though.

 

Sensei shows up early one morning with an offer to help him pick fava beans so he can sleep more in at night, which doesn't make ANY sense to him.

 

“Whaaaaat!?” Ukai shoves his hand in sensei's face to smush it. “What are you doing here! It's four in the morning!”

 

Ukai is clueless to where Takeda-sensei lives, but he bets it's far enough that sensei would have woken up no later than 3:30am. Having to go to a practice and then teach a full day would be hell. At least Ukai's family is accepting enough to let him go back to sleep for a while after morning practice.

 

He's so persistent that he gives in and the beans are picked quicker than ever thanks to sensei's small, deft fingers. The walk to school is quiet in their tiredness, it's only interrupted by the occasional sleepy yawn from sensei.

 

It's obvious during practice that Takeda-sensei is exhausted as he ambles around handing out morning snacks. His shirt is properly tucked in, but his tie is askew and his hair is wilder than usual.

 

He keeps rubbing at his eyes and manages to smudge his glasses. The smear is awful and looks impossible to see out of. Not that it matters since sensei's eyes are closed half the time.

 

When is gets close to time for class Ukai can't bear it anymore.

 

“Sensei.”

 

Sensei's smile wobbles, but he doesn't respond. He's more tired than Ukai thought.

 

“Here let me help you out.”

 

He gently takes off Takeda-sensei's glasses and cleans them with the bottom of his spotless shirt. He then slides them carefully into place his fingers sliding hair out from underneath the prongs so the curves of them lay firmly behind the shell of the smaller man's ears.

 

He then takes hold of the teachers tie, tightening it and centering it. He slides his hand down the collar in one last attempt to make Takeda-sensei appear ready for classes.

 

By the time he finishes sensei is noticeably more awake, his eyes focusing on Ukai's hands before darting away. He blushes with embarrassment that must certainly come from having to have a younger man help him ready for class.

 

“Thank you, Ukai-kun. Class--” outside the Westminster chime begins to chime, “--ah! Class, I'm late for it!”

 

Takeda-sensei disengages and almost tumbles backwards catching himself from falling and makes a mad dash out the doors and into the school itself as Ukai watches his hands still raised midair.

 

“Huh,” is all Ukai can really say.

 

That night they close up the gym by themselves again, sensei moving slowly and carefully, his movements obviously taking more effort than he can really afford. Still, he's dedicated, and Ukai admires that a lot. Which may be why when he begins to worry about sensei's ability to make it home he decides to offer to let him stay at his house.

 

“Sensei, can you make it home okay? How far do you live?” Takeda-sensei continues to drag his feet as he sweeps the floor making Ukai feel as sluggish as he looks. He doesn't respond at all—a sign that he's probably already half-asleep. It would be dangerous for him to go on a train by himself, he would likely end up sleeping there and waking up in the next prefecture. Or maybe he drove which would be even more dangerous.

 

While he watches sensei stops sweeping and leans heavily onto the broom handle for support. It's completely absurd, but Ukai is quite confident that he's actually fallen asleep in the middle of his work without falling down.

 

Persistent is almost too mild of a word for a man like that.

 

Ukai shakes the other, and he awakes with a jolt.

 

“Ah! Ukai-kun I'm sorry I didn't see you there, you were saying something....?” The question lingers in the air as Ukai looks him over evaluating how much effort it would take to convince the other to come home with him.

 

He grabs the push broom from him and smiles at the sleepy face, “Sensei go sit, I'll finish here.”

 

The other makes a grab to retrieve it but loses his energy to fight as the taller man pulls it out of his reach. He's tired enough to not argue as he sits down in the chair they use for practicing receives and slumps immediately.

 

Ukai finishes quickly if not a bit messily as he watches to make sure Sensei hasn't gotten up to wander off in a daze.

 

He pulls Takeda-sensei up with the keys firmly in hand and walks him out the door. They make it off campus and are half-way down the street when sensei finally rouses enough to realize they aren't going in whatever direction his home is in.

 

“Thank you, Ukai-kun, for finishing up. I should head home now. Thank you.” He's pulling away to stagger back up the road, but not so quickly that Ukai doesn't snag him by the wrist. He looks bleary eyed at the hand that has caught, clearly uncertain as to why this mysterious hand has blocked his plans.

 

“Sensei, come to my house. Stay the night. There's now way I'm gonna let you try to get home on your own.

 

His face turns from confused to polite in an instant as the demand visibly bounces through his head.

 

“I couldn't possibly impose, Ukai-kun, your parents—”

 

“--won't even notice you're there,” Ukai interrupts. “And, if they do they'll agree that I shouldn't have sent you off without rest.”

 

Sensei is a person who needs more than a little convincing. “You've been falling asleep the whole day, I heard from the brats that you even fell asleep while in the middle of a lecture. You can't afford to not get as much sleep as ya can.”

 

He rubs his unoccupied his hand up and down his face because sensei still looks uncertain.

 

“It's no trouble sensei, honest. There's a spare futon.”

 

Takeda-sensei may be persistent but even he can't continue to argue in the face of so much weariness, so he stops pulling back and quietly follows Ukai down the hill, his hand turned to clasp the other's wrist for moral and real support.

 

Like Ukai thought his parents are already in bed, they're old and prone to early mornings and practice and clean up ran so late that they closed the shop themselves. So he pulls the futon and extra sheets out of storage and takes them into his room as sensei sits in a chair in the store, a cooling cup of tea sitting in front of him.

 

When he checks on him he not surprised to find that sensei head is propped in his hand or that he's lightly snoring. It's so soft that if it wasn't for the slight nasal quality of it Ukai would think it was just his breathing. No bath tonight then with drowning as a real possibility.

 

For the nth time that day Ukai wakes him and guides him into the room. On autopilot sensei strips himself of his tie, his slippers, his shirt, then belt, and finally without any regard to his host, before climbing into bed.

 

The wrong bed.

 

Ukai sighs and resigns himself to night on a slightly musty futon. He slips off his sleeping guest's glasses and grabs his clothes to wash and hang in the bathroom above the vent to dry. No need to send sensei to school in dirty clothes where he may or may not have a spare set.

 

After that he readies himself for bed, removing his headband is the last thing he does, his hair flops in front of his eyes.

 

Ukai wants so badly to crawl into his own bed, instead he makes due with the spare which is a little shorter than he can fit in so he curls up facing the wall after setting the alarm.

 

 

*

 

 

He wakes up looking at someone laying near him with their hand on the snooze button of his alarm. Someone awake who's staring back at him in equal surprise. Fucking shit, it's only Takeda-sensei, who woke up because of the alarm.

 

Ukai sighs.

 

“Go back to sleep sensei, I'm going to go pick beans.” He pulls the alarm out from under the hand and clicks it off, setting it back down. The hand retreats back under the covers and he watches as the other's body slumps back under as well.

 

It seems he's finally seen the sense of resting and decided to listen to him.

 

Ukai leaves to pick beans in the pale darkness of the coming morning, completely unaware of the real reason his colleague acquiesced to him.

 

 

*

 

 

The clothes had dried easily over night and Ukai is able to shake out most of the stiffness from the dress shirt. Thankfully hanging them had prevented many wrinkles from forming as there isn't any time to iron this morning.

 

He collects the items and sets them in his room by the teacher who is beginning to stir again.

 

“Wakey wakey, sensei. We'll need to be heading out soon.”

 

The lump under the sheets stills. “I'll be ready in a minute or two, Ukai-kun.”

 

If that's not a sign to get out and leave sensei to get dressed he would eat his jersey. It's a bit strange for someone to be so body shy after so easily stripping in front of same person the night before. But, Ukai-kun, guesses that tiredness may have made Takeda-sensei careless.

 

“Alright, sensei, breakfast is being put together right now.” If possible, he figures, sensei stiffens up even more than before.

 

He shakes his head in questioning at the behavior but leaves to the kitchen--where his mother is putting together breakfast-- anyways.

 

“Kenshin, is your guest up?” She says as she takes out bowls from the cabinet for the miso soup.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, “Sensei is getting dressed right now.”

 

“You all are working so hard, especially that teacher. To be so tired that he can't even get home? He should really pace himself.”

 

He looks at his mother at that. Of course she would worry, a school wasn't a business office where it was expected that workers would fall asleep. They actually had to close up the grounds at night.

 

Ah, Ukai hopes that sensei doesn't remember that he promised to do rounds last night or he might over work himself again to make up for it.

 

A small shuffling sound catches Ukai's attention and he knows immediately that sensei is waiting near the door, probably reluctant to interrupt them, so he turns to announce the other's presence.

 

“Oi, sensei, come eat.” Ukai can actually see the edge of the teachers jacket poking out from the door frame as it retreats a bit. Sure, yeah, it may be awkward to have breakfast with your colleague’s family after you've stayed the night, but it's not like he made a fool of himself or anything.

 

“Mmmh, sensei please come in!” There's his mom backing him like always, actually managing to get the smaller man to come out of hiding.

 

“Please sit! Keishin serve him while I wake your father.” With that his mother leaves them, so as sensei sits gingerly at the low table, Ukai pours miso soup into bowls, spoons out white rice, and dishes up the fish onto plates. His parents are on the older side and have always been pretty traditional about breakfast.

 

He sets the food before the other man and then sets places for his parents and himself. He watches the teacher fidget in his seat his hands wringing themselves, he almost looks as if he's going to get up and sprint away.

 

Just as it appears he's reaching his limit, Ukai's parent enter in, his father scratching his chest and yawning himself awake.

 

They sit and all say their thanks (sensei's is quiet and clear) and eat, Takeda-sensei making every effort not to draw attention to himself. His mother says nothing, recognizing his effort to make himself as unobtrusive as possible.

 

The meal finishes quickly enough, though it clearly drags out to long for the smaller man who is jittery. Thanks are said again, and they leave.

 

As they leave Ukai can hear his father ask his mother, “When did we get another one?” The door shuts though, and Ukai doesn't hear the answer.

 

His parents are all too use to his friends staying over at this point, in fact his father usually forces them to help out in the shop if they show up when it's busy. Perhaps it's unusual, but at least Mori and Shimada used to work part time in the shop in high school. Under the table of course, having a job while going to Karasuno wasn't technically allowed.

 

Ukai was given a free pass mostly because the place was owned by his family.

 

The walk is quiet until they reach the school and Takeda-sensei excuses himself to the teachers' office before practice starts.

 

Ukai is left to go to gym by himself where he knows at least Hinata and Kageyama have already shown up desperate to be let in and play.

 

 

*

 

 

Hinata and Kageyama turned out not to be waiting outside, but already inside with Sugawara all of them training desperately.

 

He lets them take care of themselves for the most part and he's more than a little surprised that sensei shows up only for a few minutes before departing again.

 

Ukai shakes off the unsettling feeling that Takeda-sensei might be avoiding him to clear up a bit after practice.

 

Then it's his usually nap until noon, then it's lunch when realizes that sensei probably doesn't have food. After all he didn't go home last night.

 

If sensei is pleased when Ukai shows up at school office with one of the Sakanoshita's premade bentos his mother puts together (another reason they're so popular with students and busy single office workers) he can't really tell, since the man predominantly looks embarrassed.

 

The staring in the office is weird, Ukai hadn't thought anything of showing up in his apron to deliver food, but it seems that he's kick up a fuss centered around Karasuno's adviser.

 

He retreats back to the store before anyone can say anything, even before Takeda-sensei thanks him for the food.

 

_Did I overdo it,_ he thinks as he senses the other teachers' eyes follow his back as he leaves. It makes no sense as to why they're staring so intently after him from the windows, but it feels like he's misstepped somewhere and they're just waiting for the gruesome aftermath to become apparent. 

 

They're truly suitable for the roles of carrion eaters, he feels.

 

 

*

 

 

Practice goes well at least. Takeda-sensei actually shows up and spends the entire practice too busy to talk.

 

So things are a bit awkward after he spent the night, Ukai figures he'll get over it soon enough, that maybe sensei was sheltered as a child. He may have never spent the the night at someone's house before . . . as an adult of of twenty-nine years.

 

Ukai rubs his in consternation, clearing his mind for now. There's still clean up to finish while sensei is doing his rounds of the school. Who ran off as soon as the kids left, leaving him to do clean up. It was so unusual that it wasn't any surprise that Ukai was worrying.

 

Still it could be--

 

“Ukai-kun lets finish up here and go home.”

 

Ukai is partially relieved to see Takeda-sensei standing in the door, that he's not ignoring him out of hand, even if he does look a bit nervous fidgeting with the hem of his tracksuit jacket.

 

“Of course sensei.” Ukai grins widely at the other man hoping to pacify him. They have to work together, and damn if he's going to make a bigger mess than he can deal with.

 

Sensei lurches into the gym to help take down the net and Ukai considers it a job done well albeit his face is tucked into the collar of his jacket as they remove it.

 

Several chores later and Ukai is prepared to go home, even without having heard another word from his colleague. He's tired and already yawning into his hand. Sensei catches the same itch and yawns behind him as they step out into the night to lock the doors.

 

Ukai stretches and cracks his spine, stiff from exertion. Shoving his hand into his pockets he takes several steps backwards watching as Takeda-sensei pockets the school keys and pulls out another smaller set.

 

“Goodnight sensei. Get some sleep tonight Don't stay up to late grading.” Ukai says, before he turns around to make his way home, because he knows the teacher will otherwise if he doesn't warn him off.

 

He's several paces away when he hears Takeda-sensei's response and he freezes in place.

 

When he looks behind himself the other man is no longer there and Ukai doesn't hear or see him all along his route home.

 

At the store Ukai mechanically (born of many years of the same process) begins preparations for opening the next day that his mother left on a list for him, then he makes for a late bath pushing hanging sheets aside that are drying, then drags himself into bed with wet hair feeling no less confused than he did earlier today.

 

Ukai lays in bed with his eyes wide open and sleep a far off notion.

 

Ukai doesn't want to acknowledge it, he feels he must have misunderstood, yet he can't deny how his stomach leaped into his throat at the words. And, if it really wasn't what he heard why did sensei disappear without a sound.

 

He buries his face into his pillow with a certain amount of viciousness trying to force out the images replaying in front of his eyes, when he does he gets a sudden whiff of a smell that is most certainly is not his shampoo.

 

Sensei slept in his futon, his mother had gathered the spare sets of sheets to wash and hang in the bathroom but not his own because she didn't know that the other man had slept in the wrong bed.

 

Fuck.

 

Ukai throws the pillow to the other side of the room content to do without. He settles down to sleep ignoring all the rampant thoughts for careful breathing exercises to clear his nose of the faint scent of citrus.

 

Ukai knows there's no way Takeda-sensei told him “Goodnight honey” and it's ridiculous to think otherwise.

 

 

*

 

 

The next morning Takeda-sensei is bright and cheerful as always at practice, and absolutely does not bring up last night. Ukai's smile is a bit stilted at first, but the excitement and rush of the approaching nationals is enough to clear his mind of all superfluous thought.

 

Ukai says nothing about the night before either.

 

 

*

 

 

The excitement carries them all the way to the finals. It will be televised in a few days, a showdown they never thought would happen at this stage. It seems the luck of the draw is on their side because _this_ will be The Battle of the Garbage Heap they've been waiting for.

 

Until then they will train, but for this night they will celebrate.

 

 

*

 

 

The party is absolutely deafening between Karasuno and Nekoma, regardless of who will actually win they're all happy to just have the chance to fight on a stage.

 

Ukai isn't certain, but he's half-confident that Tanaka's sister snuck booze into the party for the brats. He's half way to shit faced and he honestly can't be bothered to rein them in. None of the other infinitely more sober adults are making any efforts to stop their merry making, so he plans to only keep an eye out for any attempts to leave while inebriated. And, grievous injuries. Grievous injuries are also important.

 

What isn't important is that Inuoka kid is trying to convince Hinata it's a great idea to get on his shoulders, just to see if he can handle his weight. When their combined height results in Hinata slamming his head into the ceiling he's still unconcerned.

 

Hinata has a very hard head after all.

 

Still he's not sure why that really tall mixed kid in Nekoma immediately tries to convince Hinata to get on his shoulders after the last mess up. He's even taller.

 

Thankfully Kageyama drags Hinata off the kid's shoulders before he can stand, stating loud enough for them all to hear, “Not even your head is that hard.”

 

He's either talking about taking another injury or the foolishness of making another attempt with someone who's only inches shorter than the ceiling, the former makes more sense because the latter isn't surprising.

 

At the only other table in the room the Nekoma captain is trying to shove a drink into a resistant Tsukishima's hand who's also attempting to shove Yamaguchi from his lap. Yamaguchi who must have gotten into the alcohol first to already be trying to go to sleep.

 

Daichi and Sugawara, normally so mature and level-headed, are reveling in the spirit of the night to down their drinks that Ukai is trying really hard to pretend not to see.

 

Ukai isn't sure exactly where Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka are but he can certainly hear them from . . . somewhere.

 

Ennoshita looks completely frighten, obviously unsure if Tanaka's sister is hitting on him or passing out on him as he holds her steady. Ukai is about seventy-eight percent sure it's both and that the woman did some pregaming before she walked in with the Neighborhood Association.

 

Speaking of, Ukai isn't sure why they're here at the party when he didn't invite them. “I invited them, Ukai-kun.” Damn. Shit. He's been speaking out loud, at least a little bit.

 

Ukai turns to Takeda-sensei who's cheeks are only vaguely flushed from an amount of alcohol that doubled his. He's smiling happily watching his students enjoy themselves while holding a conversation at the same time.

 

They've finally gotten back to normal, so it's eating at him that he's so tempted to stare in a drunk stupor at the other man as he's talking to Coach Nekoma.

 

Naoi, damn him, is being helped by Mori to drink a bottle of water. Too drunk to be a conversation partner and distract him.

 

Ukai stands laboriously, excusing himself and makes his way to the bathroom. The bathroom furthest from the party, with the hopes that the walk will help him start to sober up.

 

He passes by the Nekoma Setter, the only person he's sure hasn't had a drop to drink, playing a game with much intent. He's pretty sure it may be the one that just came out three days ago, the one with all the animals.

 

The bathroom feels much farther away when the hallways are trying to swim. Still Ukai's feet are pretty steady despite how his vision is being affected.

 

The bathroom fills with light as he flips the switch momentarily blinding him. He fills his hands with water from the sink, splashing his face. The sudden shock of cold water is a bit sobering. He braces his arms on the rim of the sink and buries his in it to reduce the strain the light is giving his eyes.

 

He spends a few moment bent over like that when a puff of warm humid air hit his left ear jolting him from his position, to see Takeda-sensei standing awfully close to him.

 

“Sensei?”

 

“You've been gone a while Ukai-kun I came to check on you.”

 

Ukai scrubs his face, feeling even more sober than he thought he would. Unfortunately sober for such an encounter.

 

“Just washing my face, trying to get up the energy to control those kids,” he explains.

 

“For thirty minutes?” “Thirty minutes!?”

 

Ukai is honestly shocked, because it certainly didn't feel like he spent that much time here. It felt like a minute or two, but he must have fallen asleep standing up without realizing it.

 

“I'm sorry sensei I must have fallen asleep for--” Ukai stutters to a halt because Takeda-sensei hand reaches up to the side of his head to touch his ear, in what could only be described as a fondling manner.

 

“You put your earrings back in for the party?”

 

That was right. Ukai had put in his earrings earlier that day since he didn't need to appear as coach in an official capacity.

 

“Uhhh--” is all he can vocalize as the other man's fingers gently graze his piercings and up the shell of his ear.

 

“It really suits you, “ Takeda-sensei's smile is utterly melting in it's intensity. Ukai legs wobble marginally threatening to betray him.

 

“Thank...you?”

 

The hand that's on his ear disappears only to grip the back of his head by the strands of his and pulls him forward.

 

Ukai loses his breath as his mouth is solidly engaged in a kiss, wet and burning. He breathes in through his nose before committing himself to deepening it. His hands straggle along the smaller man's arms, shaking and snaking around his back to reduce the distance between them.

 

Ukai doesn't even realize he's lost his headband and his hair is falling into his face until it catches in the joint of Takeda-sensei's glasses and it tugs uncomfortably.

 

The only recourse is for the glasses to be removed and Ukai does ripping out a few strands of his hair as he tosses them none too gently into the sink to clatter against porcelain.

 

Without an extra obstacle in the way they're able to tilt their faces closer together and Ukai licks his way into sensei's mouth with all the passion he's been keeping in reserve.

 

Sensei's mouth is warmer than his and his tongue moves to meet his and tangle together before forcing Ukai's to retreat. His teeth scrap and tug his lower lip forward to carefully suck and nip at it then he twists his tongue inside Ukai's mouth with a frightening amount of skill.

 

Ukai's gut is burning and dropping lower until he can no longer resist the urge to push the smaller man against the sink and slide his hand under the other's shirt.

 

It might be a mistake because Takeda-sensei disengages from his mouth and his hand drops to Ukai's chest to restrain him as he pants.

 

“Ukai-kun, I wanted to tell you I really like your hair down.”

 

It's slightly confusing as to why he stopped to give him a compliment, but Ukai doesn't let that stop him from leaning over and gently teasing the man's throat with the edges of his teeth. Up and down along the line of it, until sensei gasps at the sensation and grasps a hand full of his hoodie.

 

He pulls away to look Ukai in the face with an uncharacteristically serious face, his eyes lidded. “I wanted to tell you,” he says his breath passing over Ukai's lips moving up and over to ear.

 

“I wanted to tell you that I really like your earrings, “ his breath ghosts along his ear warmly making Ukai shiver, “and that I think they look really sexy on you.”

 

Teeth. Teeth on his ear and a tongue grazing the edges of his earlobe sending a pulse of heat down his body straight to his dick.

 

Ukai rakes his nail down sensei's spine who arches into his front giving him space to shove his hand down the back of his pants and grip a handful of delicious ass.

 

He slides his right knee between the smaller man's legs hitching him up to let him grind down and he can feel how hard he's gotten. With a shuttered gasp Takeda-sensei lets go and pulling him in closer by the hip and devouring his mouth with an amount of competence that makes the leg under sensei tremble.

 

He's desperate and hot every place their bodies touch, and feeling like he's wearing all too much.

 

Sensei must feel the same as he's pushing the hem of his hoodie up his abdominal. That is, before he's shoving his hand between the layer of cloth and skin down his waistband.

 

The angle being what it is he has to turn his wrist a bit awkwardly to reach him but it's doable and Ukai groans into the kiss as that hand feels him out, twisting around as he fondles him from base to tip.

 

The sink squeaks with the frenzy of their movements and Ukai's hand slips farther in his fingers grazing the delicate skin between his balls and hole and following it up the groove of his ass.

 

Takeda-sensei lurches forward and is only just barely able to cover the start of a wail with the press of their mouths increasing in sudden intensity.

 

The hand on Ukai speeds up in response to his own ministrations and sensei grinds frantic down on his leg.

 

The heat is pooling in his cock.

 

“Fuck,” is the only word Ukai gets out as he tears out of the kiss and spills cum over the other man's hand and in his pants.

 

“Touch me,”Takeda says.

 

Ukai obliges and slides his other hand down the front of the teacher's pants to grip his dick, the skin sliding smooth with precum gathered at the tip, the fingers of his other hand focuses on his hole, massaging it light circles.

 

Ukai can feel it as the smaller man approaches his orgasm, he tenses up briefly before a pulse goes through his dick and warm wetness coats his hand.

 

Takeda-sensei kisses Ukai, again, and this time it's just as warm but it's much more gentle. And reassuring in some sense to Ukai.

 

He clears his throat and removes his hand, he feels a bit rung out and like he just caught stealing cookies from a jar, but sensei smiles up at him with a bit of deviousness that makes him think that he might just be thankful for being caught.

 

“Let's get cleaned up and go back to the party, Ukai-kun.”

 

They do. Ukai washes his hands vigorously and wipes the inside of his boxers to the best of his ability though they are a bit of a lost cause as he knows they're going to dry stiff.

 

They go to leave and Ukai unlocks the door for them before pausing.

 

“Hey, sensei, did you plan this?” Ukai asks.

 

The other man looks a bit abashed for the first time and he scratches his nose. “Not really . . .”

 

“So, you didn't lock the door?”

 

Takeda-sensei's face drains and his eyes widen in realization.

 

 

*

 

 

Kageyama worried a bit as Hinata shuffled in looking sick and somewhat wild-eyed. Like a horse or small animal that had been spooked.

 

Sure he had drank quite a bit but he had been well on his way to recovery when he went to the bathroom.

 

“You okay? Do you need some water?”

 

“Nothing's okay,” the shorter boy responded before fainting dead away in Kageyama's waiting arms.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Notes on the headcanons involved with the making of this particular fic are here: http://kuwabara-sensei.tumblr.com/post/92574745305/chemical-crisis


End file.
